Applebee's plan prompts liquor sales debate in Port Lavaca

PORT LAVACA - The future of an Applebee's restaurant remains uncertain as residents debate extending the hours liquor may be sold.

"We're in limbo," said Port Lavaca City Manager Bob Turner. "Applebee's is waiting to see what happens with the late-night drinking ordinance."

The ordinance, which went into effect April 25, extends the hour that businesses can sell alcohol from midnight to 2 a.m. Applebee's officials have said they will open a restaurant at state Highway 35 and Virginia Street only if the hours are extended.

Walter Spiller, a retired resident of Port Lavaca, says he does not believe extending the sale of alcohol by two hours makes much difference.

Lisa Rodgers, an area banker, is against the ordinance. She wants Applebee's to come to Port Lavaca for the food but objects to the club atmosphere it would become after the restaurant closes at 10 p.m.

"We don't need another club," she said. "And if Applebee's does come, it can stick to midnight."

The longer the bars are open, the more people can drink, the more danger there is on the road and the more crime increases, Rodgers said.

She also believes that the economic development argument is based on unsound reasoning.

"We shouldn't have to change the drinking laws to get businesses and to grow the community," Rodgers said. "If Applebee's doesn't come, we're not going to dry up and stop being a town."